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It was an increase of around 8 per cent compared with the same period last year which, according to Visa, made it Britain's busiest shopping day ever.

The rise is partly attributed to
shoppers being able to enjoy some of the biggest pre-Christmas discounts
ever as desperate stores try to boost sales.

BRITONS TO SPEND £500M MORE THAN 2011 IN CHRISTMAS SALES

Cash-strapped Britons are expected to splash out £500million more than last year in the post-Christmas sales, researchers claim.

More than half of us are hoping to bag a bargain in the New Year sales, spending an average £92.58 each, according to a study by Sheila's Wheels home insurance.

Clothes, shoes and accessories will be at the top of shopping lists with Britons forking out 79 per cent more on these items than a year ago.

One-in-five of those polled said they plan to spend more in the New Year sales than on their Christmas shopping.

The study estimates £4.8billion will be spent in the January sales this year with the average person buying 15 items in the January sales.

Jacky Brown, of Sheilas' Wheels, said: 'The January sales are getting earlier every year as so many families are eager to grab a bargain rather than fork out a fortune over Christmas.'

Early bird shoppers queued outside
John Lewis, Hamleys and Marks & Spencer before doors opened this
morning, keen to beat the crowds.

London's West End was heaving and hectic scenes were reported across Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street.

A spokesman for the New West End
Company, which represents 600 retailers across the three famous shopping
streets, said it was even busier than anticipated, adding that about
70 per cent of the shoppers appeared to be men who had left their gift-buying to
the 11th hour.

He said: 'We expect one million shoppers today and tomorrow through the West End stores, spending £100 million in total.'

Many firms have already launched
their January sales ahead of what are expected to be the two most
lucrative days of the year on the high street.

Many stores have drafted in thousands of extra staff to help ease the heavy load.

A spokesman for Asda said: 'We're expecting today and tomorrow to be our busiest days of the year. This year we are pulling out all the stops to give our customers an extra 7,000 helping hands.'

Morrisons, meanwhile, claimed it experienced its busiest shopping minute of the year at 12.44pm.

However, the discount deals are already starting to backfire.

Customers who bought early have been angered to find their purchases are now selling for a fraction of the price.

Discount bonanza: The busiest hour of shopping in 2011 was due to take place yesterday between 12pm and 1pm

Crowded: The early launch of many January sales early has angered shoppers who made their Christmas purchases in advance

Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, John
Lewis, and Argos have all started their winter sales over fears they
could be left with mountains of stock as shoppers wait until the last
minute to make festive purchases.

Jackie Phillips, 47, a receptionist from
Northfield, Birmingham, said: ‘I bought my daughter a toy pushchair for
Christmas and now I’ve just seen it for half the price. It is really
annoying. You expect it on Boxing Day but not now.’

A report by accountant RSM Tenon
released yesterday paints a bleak picture of the state of the high
street. It claims 13 per cent of retailers, around 8,990, are at high
risk of collapsing into insolvency.

As a result January sales have started early as firms try to lure consumers with the promise of rock-bottom prices.

In
some cases, major chains are discounting by up to 80 per cent. French
Connection, which issued a profit warning earlier this month, brought
forward its sale by a week.

The move comes a week after a Government
commissioned report by self-styled retail guru Mary Portas warned that
the UK’s high streets were under threat from online competition, with
some town centres described as ‘dead’.

Temptation: January sales have started early as firms lure consumers with the promise of rock-bottom prices

Countdown to Christmas: A man carrying gift-wrapped presents is distracted by goods in a shop window

Latest government figures showed
sales volumes for November fell 0.4 percent from the previous month,
according to the Office for National Statistics due to poor sales of
computers, watches, jewellery and carpets.

More
worrying data released yesterday showed UK shopper numbers for this
week are lower than the weak snow-affected period last year.

In yet another blow to stores, Boxing
Day sales have been thrown into chaos in the capital after a High Court
judge refused to ban a Tube strike.

Drivers
who have already seen their salaries rocket to more than £50,000 per
year are walking out demanding £365 overtime pay and a lieu day.

Hundreds of families expecting to
tuck into a luxury feast this Christmas will be left disappointed after
Fortnum & Mason admitted many of its famous hampers will not arrive
in time.

The store blamed
‘severe’ IT problems as it said that thousands of hampers are still
sitting in its warehouse, shattering the hopes of present-buyers who
have shelled out a small fortune for one of the wicker baskets.

It
has promised to provide refunds to those who ordered their hampers in
good time and still do not receive them by Christmas Eve.